Melting On My Tongue
by roktavor
Summary: Okuyasu's got a summer job at an ice cream shop. Josuke pesters him for free samples.


**A/N:** For the Josuyasu week day 4 prompt: summer job.

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**Melting On My Tongue**

Josuke, standing at the display case and blocking the public's view of the choco strawberry swirl, lets his head sink into his arms where they're perched atop the glass. "This sucks, man."

"What does?" Okuyasu is pretty sure he knows what this is about, but humors Josuke anyway. Work isn't busy right now – his only customers (aside from Josuke) are a couple of teenage girls huddled into a booth at the back, giggling into their shared sundae.

Rainy days aren't good for business, but they _are_ good for polishing all of the cute display items. The antique, crystal ice cream dish dusted to sparkling, Okuyasu sets it back onto the shelf as careful as he can. Takes a second to tweak it into place with the cloth covering his hands so he doesn't get fingerprints on it.

Heaving a dramatic sigh, Josuke picks up his head and rests his cheek on a fist. His hair is miraculously unscathed. "It's summer, and I've got no money, and no best friend to spend time with 'cause he's always workin'."

Okuyasu scoffs at Josuke's complaint, which is – as Okuyasu expected – identical to the one he's had every time he's come to visit the ice cream shop. So…that's pretty much every day since summer break started. It's actually quite sweet of him, and will make Okuyasu blush if he's not careful.

"Y'know, you could just get a job here, too," he says, stretching to reach an adorable crocheted ice cream cone. "Then you'd have money _and_ we could spend more time together."

Flopping into something like a dramatic sprawl, Josuke complains, "But it wouldn't be the same, Oku – working isn't _fun_."

At the garbage can, Okuyasu pats the dust free of the display cone's round, chocolate head. "You don't seem to mind hangin' out on that side of the counter, man – why not come back here and get paid?"

"…I hate it when you make sense."

"Love you, too, babe."

Josuke goes tense, cheeks a little pink, and ah, shit Okuyasu forgot they were in public for a second there. The girls at their table don't seem like they heard, engrossed in their sundae and giggling together about something. On the list of awkward places for public declarations of love, this could be higher.

But Okuyasu still mumbles, "I mean 'dude'," just in case, for Josuke's peace of mind. Bullet sufficiently dodged, he replaces that adorable ice cream cone, and grabs its strawberry companion to give it the same treatment. "If I make so much sense, why not get the job?"

"_Because_," is all that Josuke offers, slumping over the glass again. He keeps quiet for a few minutes, too busy pouting to complain.

…It's a cute pout. Okuyasu realizes that he's been shaking the dust off of this fuzzy strawberry cone for way too long. Which is one hundred percent Josuke's fault. Standing there being all…Josuke.

Deeming this display item beyond clean enough, Okuyasu puts it back on the shelf next to its partner in crime. Next up are a few old-fashioned milkshake glasses, and then a few jars of candy toppings, and then he should probably take everything off and dust the shelves themselves…shouldn't have been putting stuff back this whole time, probably. Didn't think this cleaning thing through too well…

"Hey, Oku?"

Previously shelved items are now arranged on the counter in a way that none of them should get bumped off while they wait to be replaced. Okuyasu grabs his dusting cloth, and sets his sights on the shelves themselves. "Hm?"

"Can I get a free sample?"

Coming down off of tiptoe where he was reaching for the highest display shelf, Okuyasu levels Josuke with a raised eyebrow. "You already tried every flavor on my first day."

"Yeah," Josuke says, his elbows resting on the glass. And he's _grinning_. It's an impish sort of thing, he puts his chin in his hands and everything. "But that was forever ago."

Okuyasu catches sight of his only customers standing up and heading for the door out of the corner of his eye. One of the girls picks up her umbrella from the stand, the bell chimes, and then they're on their way down the street, arms linked and umbrella over their heads.

"They haven't changed," Okuyasu says, tossing his used dust rag aside and leaving to clean the girls' table instead. "Buy somethin' if you want it."

"But I'm broke," Josuke complains _again_, this time tacking on, "and I don't wanna get a job," before Okuyasu can give his tried and true advice.

"I can't just give you a bunch of free ice cream."

"It won't be a bunch," Josuke promises, a pout in his voice.

And Okuyasu can't help but grin at that. "If you say so." Once he's cleared the table of residual napkins and wiped it down, Okuyasu returns to his post behind the counter, eyeballing the second-highest shelf for dusting.

Josuke hasn't moved, still leaning on the counter and watching Okuyasu do his job. "I just wanna find the sweetest flavor."

Okay. That's a little weird. Okuyasu frowns while he works. "You bored or somethin'?"

"Somethin', yeah."

Giving up on the rest of the shelves for now, Okuyasu sighs, heading over to wash his hands. It's not like he's got much of anything else to do today, anyway, besides putting all those trinkets back on the shelves later. Hopefully he'll be able to remember what goes where.

"You're the best, Okuyasu."

"Yeah, yeah…" Okuyasu tugs some gloves on as he wanders back to the counter, stopping across from Josuke. "If you want the sweetest, it's gotta be the cotton candy."

Josuke's smile is all wide. "I'll be the judge of that."

"O'course you will." And Okuyasu rolls his eyes, yeah, but he's smiling, too as he picks up a tiny plastic sampling spoon, dipping it into soft blue ice cream. "Here."

Warm fingers brush Okuyasu's when Josuke takes the proffered spoon. He licks the little blue dollop off of it, and considers all the particulars of the flavor with a, "Hmm…"

"Well?"

"I dunno, man. You sure that's the sweetest?"

Looks like Okuyasu is going to have to humor Josuke a little bit longer – probably go through all of the flavors all over again, if he had to hazard a guess. "Our vanilla's kinda sweet, I guess," he says, grabbing another little spoon, this time scooping out vanilla. "'Specially with sugar sprinkles on it."

Josuke holds out an eager hand, making a grabby motion with it while Okuyasu is busy using another spoon to sprinkle sprinkles. "Hit me."

Dutifully, Okuyasu hands this over with a forewarning. "I might'a put too much sugar on it, it's hard with somethin' that tiny."

With a furrowed brow, Josuke pops this bite into his mouth. His jaw works for a second before he swallows, and he taps the spoon against his lips in contemplation. "Pretty sweet," he acquiesces, "but it still didn't hit the spot."

"You're ridiculous," Okuyasu informs him, but gets another spoon anyway. At this rate, Josuke's going to single-handedly fill up that tiny trashcan that holds all of the used sample spoons. "Try the banana, then."

So Josuke does, and is again displeased. "That can't be the sweetest you have," he says as he discards his latest spoon. "Can I try the cotton candy with sugar sprinkles maybe?"

Snorting out a laugh, Okuyasu prepares the requested order. "I got cleanin' to do y'know – and you're emptyin' the spoon thing after this!"

"Only if you hook me up with the sweetest ice cream you guys got." Josuke gestures with his full spoon as he talks, sending sprinkles raining down on the glass counter. Which is something that Okuyasu almost yells at him for, except Josuke is spared by the way his eyes light up when he tastes this one.

Okuyasu is sure that has to be it, because it doesn't get much more sickly sweet than that, but:

"Close," is all Josuke says.

"_C'mon_ Josuke –"

"What about that choco strawberry stuff that you're always getting?" Josuke jabs a finger at it (marking up the glass, Okuyasu adds _another_ item to his cleaning to-do list), as if Okuyasu could forget which is his favorite flavor so easily. "It's real sweet, right?"

"Not cotton candy sweet," Okuyasu mutters, scooping out a tiny serving anyway. "This is your last one, okay?"

Josuke does not agree to the terms. Just accepts this latest offering and tries it on for size. "Mm, that's almost it – you sure I can't just have _one_ more sample?" he asks, lifting a single finger to demonstrate as he tosses his latest spoon.

Okuyasu frowns at him. "Will you buy somethin' after?"

"I'm broke," is all Josuke has to say for himself.

"_Fine_." Even though Okuyasu knows that Josuke can at least afford a single scoop cone, he readies another spoon. "What can I get you?"

Tapping his chin in exaggerated thought, Josuke peruses the flavors. Strolls back and forth along the counter, even, and Okuyasu is rolling his eyes at him again by the time he stops and gestures at Okuyasu with a, "C'mere."

"What?" Even as he asks, Okuyasu wanders over his way, where he's stopped at the middle of the counter. "Why?"

"Just c'mere," Josuke insists, this time motioning for Okuyasu to lean over the display case some.

Okuyasu obliges despite his confusion –

And Josuke meets him halfway, mouth landing squarely on Okuyasu's.

"That's it!" Josuke enthuses, tone far too cheery and cheeks far too pink. "Found the sweetest thing here."

His suave act doesn't fool Okuyasu, but that doesn't mean that this isn't also making his face heat up. He directs his flustered gaze to the ice cream between them. "Josuke…Josuke, that's cheesy."

"…Yeah," Josuke admits on an awkward laugh, "I know." When Okuyasu's eyes drift back up at him, he's biting his lip, looking all cute…

Okuyasu takes a deep breath. "Also, I wasn't ready."

"Oh." This time, Josuke reaches across the counter, cupping Okuyasu's jaw with one palm and using it to guide him in. The kiss is slower this time – deeper and longer but just as gentle. "How about that time?" Josuke murmurs afterward, his mouth still all close.

"Y-yeah – that time I was."

The tentative smile on Josuke's face goes wider, and he pulls back far enough that Okuyasu can see into his eyes. "Good."

There are still warm fingers brushing along Okuyasu's jaw, even after he stands down off of his tiptoes. Those vibrant eyes that lock with his own sure are something, and he's loath to do this, but he still has two hours left on his shift. "I, uh," he clears his throat, "I should get back to work."

"Yeah." Josuke nods. Takes a step away from the counter. "I…I'll see you tonight so I can kick your ass at Smash Bros?"

Scoffing, Okuyasu reaches blindly behind himself for his dusting cloth. Seems like his eyes don't want to leave Josuke. For some reason. "As if!"

A few more steps from Josuke, and he's very nearly to the door, with that same goofy grin on his face that keeps trying to plaster itself across Okuyasu's – and out of nowhere Okuyasu can't take it. He scrambles out from behind the counter. "Wait a sec…!"

"Yeah?"

When Josuke turns the whole way back around, Okuyasu is there, and he leans up to steal a kiss for himself. "You're wrong," he says, valiantly trying to banish a blush that won't budge, "you're the sweetest."

"Cheesy."

"You started it!"

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**A/N:** The title is from MIKA's song Ice Cream, of course, :'D

Thanks for reading,


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